Ordo XCom: A Warhammer 40K - XCOM 2 Crossover
by JinterIsComing
Summary: An investigation into a cursed world. An Inquisitor clinging to her faith. A Deathwatch Team with a mysterious purpose. An unexpected journey to another universe, where the last hope of humanity struggles against the xenos scum that have subjugated Earth.
1. Chapter 1: Briefing

**Ordo XCOM: An** ** **Warhammer 40K** /XCOM 2 Crossover**

BY ORDER OF HIS MOST HOLY MAJESTY THE GOD‐EMPEROR OF TERRA

SEQUESTERED INQUISITORIAL DOSSIERS AUTHORIZED PERSONS ONLY

CASE FILE 989:12XK:IH2:Fel

Please enter your authority code

xxxx-xxx-xxxxx

Validating…

Thank you, Inquisitor. You may proceed.

CLASSIFICATION: Primary Level Intelligence

CLEARANCE: Magenta

ENCRYPTION: Cryptox v 2.9.4

DATE: 999.M41

AUTHOR: Lord Inquisitor Habeas Ceris, Ordo Xenos

SUBJECT: Deployment Orders – MOST SECRET

RECIPIENTS: Inquisitor Tyvoria Kassidan, Ordo Xenos

Tyvoria,

I regret the lack of proper rest for you and your team following your previous investigation at Balhaut, but this unfortunately cannot wait.

As you well know, the situation facing Segmentum Pacificus is grim. The Astronomicon's reduced output is cutting off entire worlds from communication, and rebellion is currently tormenting Segmentums Pacificus, Obscurus, and Tempestus. Though our faith in the Emperor remains unshaken, we must be cognizant of the issues facing us, and take appropriate measures to ensure the continued victory of humanity in His glorious name.

Three days ago, a heavily damaged Strike Cruiser of the Lions Defiant Astartes limped into orbit around Mars. Their homeworld had been lost in the rebellion, but what was more troubling was the information that they had brought back with them. Techmarine Saul's information is attached to this, but in short, we have massive formations of xenos on the move for a location that I never thought we would have to face again. The xenos are headed to the remains of Colchis, the destroyed homeworld of the traitor Lograr, forever may he be damned, and the Word Bearers.

We've positively identified elements of the Eldar (Craftworlds Saim-Hann and Ulthwe), Necrons, and a tendril of Hive Fleet Leviathan on vectors for Colchis. No greenskins are moving yet, but this may change soon as well. The only positive sign is that we do not see movements from the Archenemy out of the Sabbat Worlds towards Colchis.

Your team, in attendance with an Imperial Navy task force, will investigate this matter and what the accursed xenos are planning with a dead homeworld of a traitor legion. Any and all means necessary to deal with the threat have been released for immediate use, and the Navy has attached the battleship _Terra's Thunder_ to the task force with a fully loadout of prototype ship-to-ship cyclonic torpedoes.

In addition, owing to the gravity of the situation, I petitioned the Deathwatch for a Kill-Team and received something rather more in response. Sergeant Merai of the Salamanders is en route to rendezvous with you in Hydraphur orbit with nine other Deathwatch Space Marines aboard the Astartes Strike Cruiser _Endless Vigil._ The Officio Assassinorum is also placing Vindicaire Ketera under your command for the duration of this as well. Direct them wisely-we've scoured the best we can at a moment's notice, but as always, your intelligence, ardor, faith, and resilience will be tested in His service. For more than a century, you have served Him on Earth and the Imperium well. I call upon you now, Tyvoria, to triumph once more.

Good luck. The Emperor Protects.

-HC


	2. Chapter 2: An Unexpected Arrival

**Author's Note** : Wow, can't believe so many people have already stumbled across this story! Thanks for the feedback thus far! As we progress, I'll detail where I deviate a bit from canon-while I'm sticking to mostly canon, my interpretation of XCOM 2 will have a lot more real-world weapons, tactics, and numbers versus the gameplay for XCOM 2. I'll explain once we get into that area, but that's till around three or four chapters away.

 **Edboy4926** : That's the plan. :) Won't have the entire fleet going though-it would be a curbstomp of unreal proportions if I put an entire Imperial Navy task force, a Deathwatch strike cruiser, and all the troopers through with it. It'll be a much more limited deployment.

 **GETH Prime** : And the Ethereals! CLEALY TIME-TRAVELING TAU SCUM. Also-remember when Berserkers and Archons were scary? 1.5 tons of flying Astartes landing on them with a bolt pistol and power-axes. Boom. (And Sectopods are going to cower when a special visitor comes looting along…)

 **BluePanedGasMask:** Thanks! Definitely a short prologue, but I'm aiming for ~2,000 word chapters from here on out twice a month. Work is busy so I write when I can.

* * *

 **Orbital Fortress** _Pacificus Imperialis_

 **High Orbit over Hydraphur**

 **Rajarius Sector**

 **Segmentum Pacificus**

 **999.M41**

Lord Admiral Edmond Garcius was a man of routine and precision. As the senior officer aboard Fortress Secundus over Hydraphur, he was responsible for the identification, challenge, and direction of every ship that came in over the zenith of Hydraphur. By his will, thousands of fighters, lance satellites, and light escorts patrolled the upper half of the vast void over Segmentum Pacificus's fortress world. With one message from his mind, the vast guns of the Segmentum's Own and Battlefleet Rajarius could be brought to bear on any identified threat.

Ships approached Hydraphur only by his permission and nothing else. It did not matter who they were-richly attired Rogue Traders in robe of opulence and nimble sprint-ships, Imperial Navy task groups armed to the teeth, even Astartes battle-barges carrying companies of the Angels of Death. All of them pre-cleared passage to Hydraphur with his staff first via astropaths prior to appearing in-system. This was as much respect and custom as it was to avoid the potential risk of being vaporized by the automated defense systems when IFF systems were slow to spool up.

All of this was known.

Which made Garcius all the more bemused when the Immaterium ripped asunder and deposited an unannounced arrival well within the Identification zone for _Pacificus Imperialis_.

"Tanner, bring us up to Alert 2. Inform Patrol Group 5 to vector in on the contact immediately," he said while glaring at the vast auspex screen and the unknown contact displayed. "Give Lord Admiral Svien my compliments, and ask him to bring _Terra's Thunder_ and her task force to stand-by in case we need to backstop the group."

"Yes my Lord."

Across the command center, dozens of vox operators began relaying commands to far-flung ships. On the sceen, the green sigils of Patrol Group 5 began changing course for the unidentified contact, and the blue sigils of Svien's task force flashed to life as the ships moved to follow the swift destroyers and corvettes of the patrol.

"Issue challenges in the meantime, and maintain lock on the contact. One false move, and I want them blown out of the void."

He frowned, staring hard at the blinking yellow contact sigil on the screen as dozens of missile batteries and lance emplacements tracked what still seemed a speck in the void out of the armorcrys windows. _If this was a hostile, why in the name of the Emperor would they only send one ship? And if it's not a hostile, what the warp are they playing at, not clearing this with me beforehand?_

"Sir!"

Garcius snapped around. "What is it, Tanner?"

"Vox contact from the contact sir… and a visual confirmation of who they are. It's the _Voidfire_ , Inquisition-flagged."

"Show me."

The tac officer nodded and brought up a separate window on the auspex. The ships of Patrol Group Five had gotten close enough to transmit back visuals of the _Lunar_ -class cruiser, painted pitch-black with the stark exception of a long string of Ork and Tyranid skulls painted across the bow. In the smaller screen, a raven-haired woman stared out warily, as if exhausted by all the universe had thrown at her. She wore a black urban combat harness, with an laspistol stuffed in a shoulder harness under her left arm alongside a pair of silver warknives strapped to her waist. Her eyes were storm-grey, with deep fatigue lines creased underneath.

And at her neck, shining brightly, was a red rosette with a bleached skull staring out.

"Admiral Garcius, I take it?"

"It is. Identify yourself, Inquisitor. You've given our station a bit of a fit with your arrival."

"Very well. I am Tyrvoria Kassidan, Ordo Xenos. Apologies for the unexpected arrival, but my mission is time critical and required expedited travel to Hydraphur. I need a docking slip for four days while the rest of my team arrives."

He snorted and shook his head, "Impossible. We are completely full with ships awaiting repair and refit from-"

She held up a hand to stop him.

"Admiral, you may want to consult the information I just sent you." She grinned into the screen. "And tell Admiral Svien that the _Thunder_ needs to finish loading the payload by the time _Endless Vigil_ arrives in system."

Garcius glanced down at the datapad proffered by Tanner for a second, then drew in a sharp breath.

 _Magenta-level. Bugger. This is going to be problematic_.

"Very well, Inquisitor. We'll clear you a docking station within six Terran hours. We already have the itinerary for _Endless Vigil_ and will clear them a station close to yours once they arrive in system."

"Thank you, Admiral. Kassidan out." Her image blinked off the screen.

Garcius stared at the screen for a second longer, then looked over to his tac officer.

"Bring us back down to Alert 4. And ask Magos Teleric to visit me within the hour. We need to figure out which of these wrecks," he motioned out at the countless docking slips filled with the damaged ships of more than a dozen battlefleets, "that we can move out of the way."

* * *

 **Inquisition** _Lunar_ **-class Cruiser** _Voidfire_

 **High Orbit, Hydraphur**

 **Rajarius Sector**

 **Segmentum Pacificus**

 **999.M41**

"Rise and shine, Toad!"

Gunner Jon Strachan, Catachan Jungle Fighter, Inquisitorial acolyte, decorated soldier and even more decorated troublemaker, snapped out of sleep in a sacra and amasec-fueled daze. He instinctively reached for the comforting grip of his warknife (which most of the Inquisitor's retinue would have classified as more of a "fething big broadsword") but came up empty. Annoyed and somewhat wary, he opened his eyes to the glare of the pale shipboard lights.

"Looking for this, Toad? Ask nicely and I might let you have it back."

Sitting at the foot of the bunk across from him, Sabbatine Rains grinned as she tossed the massive blade from hand to hand with practiced ease. While half the size of the massive Catachan (who they instantly nicknamed "Toad" after his tendency to tip his stubber rounds with Barking Toad toxins), a lifetime of duties aboard Rogue Trader vessels and with the Inquisition had taught her well in how to fight with any weapon-even when the "dagger" was nearly a foot and a half long. Twirling the blade by the handle with one hand, the green-eyed redhead watched with amusement as Jon struggled to get out of bed.

Two bunks over, Hariic MkClen watched in silence as Strachan finally extricated himself and began chasing Rains around the room, rolling his eyes as he sharpened his Tanith warknife on a whetting stone and waited for his laspacks to finish charging. Focusing his mind away from the antics of the two, he slowly ran the knife over the stone again and again, the straight silver screeching softly against the hard stone as he reminisced again on how he got here.

 _I wonder where the regiment is now?_ He thought, slipping the knife back into the sheath and picking up an autopistol magazine. The Tanith 1st and Only, the most decorated regiment of the Sabbat Worlds Crusade more than 200 years ago, had eventually won settlement rights on a forested world deep in the Khan Group of Segmentum Pacificus. Tanith Secundus, as it was called, had then slowly repopulated, with the world now numbering in the millions of people after over 200 years. Subsequent foundings of the Guard had produced additional Tanith regiments of infantry and armor, but the First (and to many, still the Only) retained their hard-won reputation for stealth, reconnaissance, and doing the fething impossible. MkClen had served as a Scout Sergeant in the Tanith First for nearly 12 years before Commissar Criid had seconded him to the Inquisition for his expertise in hunting down Dark Eldar, a skill he shared with his great-great-grandfather, Oan Mkoll.

 _Would be nice to see woods again. Or any kind of green for that matter_. He grimaced at the memory of the last world the inquisitor had dragged them to. _Balhaut, even after all these years, is still a goddamn mess_.

"A crown for your thoughts, Sergeant?"

"Just thinking of home, Ketera." He finished loading his pistol magazines and began manually checking laspack charge levels with a gauge. "And hoping that the next world has some trees. It's been a long time since I last saw green, or felt the cool shade of the forest on my face."

Off to his left and above, Vndicaire XILV nodded and closed her eyes once more, content with dozing until the _Voidfire_ finished docking. Patience came easily to her, and she saw no reason to expend unnecessary energy when she could rest. The two loudmouths on the retinue were irksome at times, but she felt a kinship with the pale Tanith-born MkClen, a mutual respect on stealth skills and warfighting ability.

They'd been traveling for a month now, a mad dash from Balhaut back to Hydraphur that bordered on near-suicidal. The _Voidfire_ 's navigator had nearly been driven insane in his efforts, and the Gellar fields had nearly failed twice during the journey. Three different boarding actions by Orks and Dark Eldar had been attempted, and the entire ship's company was tired and spent after the journey.

But now, they were here, and with any luck, the inquisitor would brief them in on what exactly necessitated this-and what was to come.

* * *

"This is taking too gakking long."

Savant Adria Nihlos sighed and pinched her nose in exasperation as Tyvoria Kassidan, Inquisitor of the Ordo Xenos, master of the _Lunar_ -class cruiser _Voidfire_ , pouted like a little girl while glaring through the armorcrys of the bridge at the damaged _Chalice_ -class battlecruiser that was slowly being towed from docking slip 19-Gamma. It had only been five hours since the Admiral had contacted her, but Tyvoria was already beginning to feel impatient.

"There's nothing they can do, Tyvoria. Look at the engines on that BC." She paused to perform a quick scan with the shipboard auspex. "The _Jurgenatii_ took heavy damage over Hagia against the Tyranids. The only way she's moving is with the tugs, and that's the fastest they can move a ship of her size."

"I know, Adria," the inquisitor admitted, turning to her and sipping from a mug of recaf. "But we desperately need to repair and resupply. As soon as the _Vigil_ arrives in system, we need to make for Colchis. And the repairs to just the _Voidfire_ alone will take four days. We don't gakking HAVE four days. Emepror help us, if Habeas could, he would have sent us straight there from Balhaut. The only reason he did not is because we need heavy support for this investigation, support that we cannot send to Colchis piecemeal." She finished her recaf and gave the mug to a waiting servitor.

Adria frowned, her forehead creased as she mentally calculated how long the repairs to their _Lunar-_ class cruiser would take. Her mind, finely tuned for years in the Schola, noted at least twenty areas where time could be cut down or streamlined with enough people and material.

"We'll only need two days, but we'll need Gacius' approval for expedited repairs. He won't like it."

Tyvoria fingered her sigil and smirked. "It won't matter what he likes. Let me know exactly what is needed and I'll make the call." Her face sombered, and she looked over at her savant and friend of over 20 years. "Eldar. Tyranids. Necrons. A traitor legion's homeworld. I don't know what's going on here, Adria, but if Habeas is scared enough to send us there with enough Astartes and ships to conquer most known worlds in the Imperium, then we have to assume the worst. The fate of the Segmentum-or even the Imperium-might be at stake here."

"We must believe, Tyvoria. Sergeant Me'rai and his team are among the best the Deathwatch has. And Admiral Svien's task force is the envy of the entire Segmentum's Own. Whatever happens, we'll have them with us. And the Emperor protects."

The inquisitor nodded, and stared out the armorcrys again, the massive scarred hulk of the _Jurgenatii_ slowly moving past, it's hull eaten through by bio-acid and warped by the flaying of massive tentacles.

"Let's hope he keeps protecting then."


	3. Interlude 1: Kassidan's Retinue

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the reviews! Work is busy currently, but I have the outlines of the next chapter ready (which will involve a lot of shooting). In the meantime, here's some character dossiers for Inquisitor Kassidan and her oddball retinue.**

 **Edboy4926** : More than that, actually. You'll have to wait and see, but needless to say, no functioning warships will be going through with the team-it would make the entire XCOM 2 campaign a cakewalk. But the Inquisitor, her retinue, the Deathwatch Marines, and perhaps some other bits and pieces. It'll be interesting.

 **Guest** : … that'll be an idea for a one-off that I'll write sometime, where the full fury of an Astartes chapter and an Imperial Battlefleet arrives in orbit above occupied Earth. But not for this story.

* * *

 **Name:** Tyvoria Kassidan, "Tyke"

 **Position:** Inquisitor (Ordo Xenos), Gamma-Level Psyker

 **Age:** 63 (w/juvenat treatment)

 **Height:** 179cm

 **Weight:** 61kg

 **Homeworld:** Herodor

 **Wargear:** Relic Auxilia Heavy Laspistol, throwing knives, Sanctified Eldar Witchblade, frag grenades, armored bodyglove, Inquisitorial light carapace armor.

 **Description:** Orphaned after her mother's destroyer were lost in action to Dark Eldar raiders, Kassidan was raised in the Schola Progenium on Herodor after being sponsored by the late Lord Inquisitor Marion Singh. Unusually for a schola student, her mind was not wiped during induction, as Inquisitor Singh argued that her desire for revenge against her mother's killers and her previous memories of her father (Major Adrien Kassidan, 15th Hyrkan Mechanized Infantry, KIA M41.940 in defense of Hadenar Primaris against Tyranids) would serve as powerful motivators. She graduated close to the top of her class at the Schola Herodor, earning exceptional marks in xeneology and CQC training along the way. After a stint as the Schola's assistant marksmenship training adjunct, she was selected by Inquisitor Habeas Ceris to join his retinue as an Acolyte/junior Interrogator. Over the 15 years between M41.956 to 971, she steadily rose in his retinue and was eventually sponsored to be become a full Inquisitor in 971.

She first discovered her latent psyker gifts during an investigation into Eldar schemes at Nova Terra, in which she became engaged in a fierce firefight against the Eldar Spiritseer known as Kesithgar and his warhost. During the engagement, the Spiritseer utilized continuous bolts of warpfire to suppress Kassidan and her retinue, but when one bolt struck her directly, she was surprised to find that she was able to project a psy-shield that deflected the bolt elsewhere. She then engaged the Spiritseer in close combat and killed him, taking his Witchblade as her own channeling object after sanctification by the Order of the Golden Aegis Sororitas. Her gifts have been sanctioned, though with some reservation, by the Ordo Malleus, and she is capable of projecting psy-shields, mild psykinesis, and performing mild psychic interrogation, though nowhere close to the degree that other inquisitors such as Ravenor have been able to do.

Following the loss of nearly half of her retinue at Balhaut during the cleansing of a genestealer cult, she has become somewhat withdrawn and weary, keenly aware of the state of the Segmentum and the Imperium as a whole.

 **Name:** Adria Nihlos, "Null"

 **Position:** Savant/Techpriest

 **Age:** 49

 **Height:** 183cm

 **Weight:** 75kg (w/augmetics)

 **Homeworld:** Perlia

 **Wargear:** Tactical cogitator implant, bio-las implant, bio-augur implant, internal databank, cerebral matrix vox impant, bolt pistol, Skitarii armored robes, carapace vest.

 **Description:** Nihlos served as adjunct Magos for the planetary forge in Perlia's Schola Progenium prior to undergoing savant training within the Adeptus Mechanicum and then subsequent assignment to the newly promoted Kassidan's retinue. She has been with Tyvoria the longest of the entire remaining retinue, with nearly 23 years of shared experience and trust between the two. Though she serves mainly as the technical and intelligence expert in the warband, her numerous tactical analysis packages, built-in wrist-mounted lasweapons, and enhanced strength from ceramite ossification implants make her a potent force in the field as well. Inexplicably cheerful and sympathetic for an ex-Mechanicus member, she serves as the yang to Kassidan's ying.

 **Name:** XI-LV (Ketera)

 **Position:** Vindicaire Assassin

 **Age:** (REDACTED)

 **Height:** ~186cm

 **Weight:** (REDACTED)

 **Homeworld:** (REDACTED)

 **Wargear:** Exitus Rifle w/Omni-Scope + Pistol, Volkite Serpenta, Exitus ammunition types, Light Power Blade, Reinforced Vindicare Stealth Suit, Vindicare Spy Mask

 **Description:** 185 missions assigned, 185 missions completed, 1,000+ high value targets eliminated. Acquired a Volkite Serpenta following an assignment to (DATA EXPUNGED) in the Noctis Labyrinth of Mars. Ketera has worked with Inquisitor Kassidan numerous times in the past. Normally aloof and emotionless, she has developed a rapport with some members of the team and has a friendly (though decidedly lopsided) competition with MkClen on marksmanship.

 **Name:** Hariic MkClen, "Ghost"

 **Position:** Scout/Marksmen and Infiltration Expert

 **Age:** 36

 **Height:** 192cm

 **Weight:** 89kg

 **Homeworld:** Tanith Secundus

 **Wargear:** Modified Tanith Mk. III Lascarbine w/Preysense Scope, Sternacht Type 16 "Folly" autopistol w/silencer, Inquisitorial light carapace armor, Tanith camo-cloak, Tanith "Straight Silver" warknife, frag + krak grenades, light tube charges.

 **Description:** Born on Tanith Secundus to a Guard family, Sergeant MkClen counts his lineage from Oan Mkoll, one of the original Ghosts of Tanith who served under Ibram Gaunt during the Sabbat Worlds Crusade. Tall, pale, and wry to just below the point of insubordination, MkClen served six years in the Tanith 1st as a scout trooper and sergeant, eventually joining Kassidan's retinue after a legendary hunt through Hive Jardine on Xyquine infested with Dark Eldar and loxatl mercenaries in which he trumped Brother Sergeant Randgaard of the Space Wolf Astartes on total kills over a three-day period. He is an expert at infiltration and stealth tactics, and delights in both silently taking down targets as well as scaring the living feth out of the rest of the retinue as often as possible. Responsible for introducing the secrets and headaches of sacra to the team.

 **Name:** Sabbatine Rains, "Saint"

 **Position:** Mercenary Gunslinger/Pilot

 **Age:** 28

 **Height:** 172cm

 **Weight:** 58kg

 **Homeworld:** N/A (Voidborn, Taussen Rogue Trader Dynasty)

 **Wargear:** Ryza M-19 Combat Shotgun, Needler Pistol, Bolt Pistol, Light Power Blade, Glavian Armored Bodyglove, carapace vest.

 **Description:** Formerly Head Armswoman for the Battlefleet Rajarius _Emperor-_ class Battleship _Malleus_ , Sabbatine Rains has spent nearly her entire life in the void, first as part of the onboard guard of the Rogue Trader vessel _Saint Martell_ , then as assistant naval boarding action instructor at the Hydraphur Fleet Academy onboard _Pacificus Imperialis_ and mercenary Valkyrie pilot before returning to action onboard multiple ships. Her marksmen ship abilities are unmatched in void combat, and she wears a purity seal from the Black Templars Astartes chapter after a joint effort with them in clearing the Space Hulk _Sigil of Terror_. She came to the retinue when the _Malleus_ was heavily damaged in the Battle of 92-Hespex by Ork Kroozers, at which point the _Voidfire_ defended the crippled battlewagon for four Terran hours before a detachment of the Segmentum's Own was able to break through the blockade and tow the _Malleus_ out of the combat zone.

She is currently the pilot for Kassidan's gun-cutter, and delights in the thrill of Inquisitorial work, often partnering with MkClen to serve as the groundside investigative team for Tyvoria when subtlety is needed over the roar of a heavy stubber. While attractive and fair-haired, many individuals have underestimated her abilities to their eternal and terminal detriment.

 **Name:** Jon Strachan, "Toad"

 **Position:** Heavy Support

 **Age:** 30

 **Height:** 203cm

 **Weight:** 127kg

 **Homeworld:** Catachan

 **Wargear:** Catachan C-41 "Devil" squad support heavy stubber, Light Ryza-pattern MARS (Multipurpose Antiarmor Rocket System), Catachan C-3 Shotgun Revolver, Catachan warblade, Tempestus Carapace Armor, frag + krak grenades, tube charges.

 **Description:** To this day, Jon "Toad" Strachan is the only trooper in Imperial Guard history to survive **two** separate tours of duty with Colonel Schaeffer's 13th Penal Legion, the Last Chancers. He joined the Guard at 16 after surviving a childhood on Catachan and made corporal within two years, demonstrating remarkable leadership and tactical skills including the use of hibernating Lesser Catachan Barking Toads as short-ranged artillery during the siege of Hive Arthlax. Subsequently, after a command issue wiped out half of his regiment in the vicious street fighting on Demeter IV, he's had a problem with taking orders from official Imperial commands, leading to multiple court martials and two separate tours with the 13th that still remain classified to this day.

He was due for another court martial for some questionable activities with the twin daughters of the Governor of Selemista prior to Kassidan yanking him out of the brig and adding him to the retinue. Despite his misgivings about command, he has formed a solid rapport with the rest of the retinue and serves as the heavy backstop to any investigation. His appetite is legendary, and his massive, near-ogryn form belies a keen intelligence and eye for combat. It also belies a relative weakness to sacra, which MkClen and Rains exploit to no small end.


	4. Chapter 3: Prelude to Party Crashing

_Elsewhere, and elsewhen…_

 **Advent Seaport Gene Clinic**

 **Boston, former United States of America**

 **Eastern US Control Zone**

 **Earth, September 13** **th** **, 2034**

Two figures walked slowly down the dirty length of Congress St, past the ruined remains of the Children's Museum and the stub of the Milk Bottle café that still remained. 10 minutes later, they approached a squat, two-story structure off the side of the street. Advent patrol troopers, masked beneath black visors and armor, marched ceaselessly along the edges, their expressions unreadable and magnetic rifles held at the ready.

One figure looked up. Under a grubby, grey hooded raincoat, patched and ripped in more than a dozen areas, two blue, weary but well-trained eyes took in the entirety of the building, scanning and noting the placement of the doors, the positions of the guards, the thickness of the windows and the paths of entry and egress. Her mouth wrinkled in slight surprise, and then spoke softly to the figure alongside her.

"That's it?"

The other figure glanced at the street intersection and then back at the building, then nodded quickly. His right hand deftly adjusted the hidden smartphone in his coat as it recorded the building while his left rested on the matte-black handle of a USP .45 pistol concealed in the opposite pocket, warmed by the sweat and heat of his hand.

"Yup. Anything out of place?"

"Extra cameras along the perimeter, and it looks like the door's been reinforced in a few spots." She glanced over briefly at the closest group of guards. "Those troopers have dagger patches on their arms-they're Internal Security troops, not regular Advent."

He nodded. "Right spot then. Okay, let's get out of here."

 _Later that day, undisclosed location, Somerville_

"… and that's the last of it," said the blue-eyed woman, finishing her presentation on the scouting of the Gene Clinic to the seven individuals surrounding the small projector in the safehouse. "After all the recon info we've collected here, we have strong reasons to believe that the intelligence is correct." She paused, and looked around the room. "This could be where they're holding the Commander."

"Then we're gonna go get him."

All eyes turned to the man at the head of the table. His eyes stared steadily back at them.

"You heard me," said Central Officer Bradford. "We're going to go in there to recover the Commander."

"Sir, that is crazy." Kristina "Firebrand" Hogan protested as she studied the ground around the compound. "There is zero chance we can get in there with a drop before we get UFOs blowing us out of the sky."

"We don't drop in, Firebrand. We'll enter on the ground. You'll provide extract once we confirm the Commander's presence."

"And how are we going to do THAT, Central? With just a handful of us and one Skyranger driver?" That was Peter Osei, his hands idly field stripping a SCAR-L while his eyes locked on Bradford. "Once the shooting starts, they'll know exactly what the hell is going on-and we'll be knee-deep in Advent."

"We can stage a diversion first," said Ana Ramirez, chewing thoughtfully on a protein bar as she pointed to another spot on the map. "This Advent checkpoint here-we stage a protest there or plant some explosives. Then we hit the clinic fast and hard while they're busy elsewhere."

Bradford nodded, and then looked over at the last three members of the table.

"Doc, Lily, we'll need you to get the Avenger prepped and some X4 charges built. If the Commander comes aboard, we'll need some medical facilities ready for him to recuperate in. This many years with the Advent can't have done him any good." He paused, then looked over at the last member of the table. "Jane, get on the short-range coms and try to get a hold of the Boston resistance cells. We need to talk to them about when we can get this going."

Tygan raised his hand, his expression grave as he looked at Bradford. "Central-are we ready for this? We just retook the Avenger and we don't have any resources left onboard for anything past basic small-arms and equipment for this operation." He motioned at Jane and Kristina, "And if this doesn't work, this is it for the last of XCOM. You're the only ones left from the chain of command."

Bradford sighed, and grinned warily. "That's why we need this, Doctor. That's why we need the Commander back with us." He looked up, his face determined and grim. "For all the years after the Elders invaded, I lost hope, drowning my sorrows and my despair in a bottle while the world went to absolute shit around us. Humanity became slaves to these bastards. Entire communities disappeared, and we were fucking powerless to stop any of this. But the Commander can bring us back. He can take the fight to the bastards again, and I'll be damned if we don't take this opportunity while we still can."

He paused, and then studied the eyes of the individuals around him. Apprehensive. Thoughtful. Cautious. But resolute and determined.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we're not throwing away our shot. Let's roll."

 **XCOM Mobile Base** _ **Avenger**_

 **Lowell, former United States of America**

 **Eastern US Control Zone**

 **Earth, September 17** **th** **, 2034**

"… and that's the last of it." Lily Shen wiped the sweat off her brow and put down the acetylene torch and welding visor she had been stuck to for the past five hours. "Alright, Kris, she's refitted and ready to go. You sure she can carry the weight?"

"I'm sure," Kristina replied as she scrutinized the new additions to her Skyranger. "We'll see a slight cutdown in range, but I think these," she motioned towards the tri-barreled 20mm cannon installed in the newly mounted chin turret and a pair of stub wings alongside the cockpit loaded with Hellfire antitank missiles and Hydra 70 rocket pods, "will be more than worth the added weight. We can still lift up to 12 fully kitted people in the back, and having some thunder in reserve can help with forced entries and extractions."

Lily nodded, "Just be careful to not go too gung-ho about this, Firebrand." She patted the long barrels of the 20mm, pushing slightly to see if there was any give in the flexible mount, "You've got plenty of firepower, but if you're exposed for too long and take a hit, we have no backup available to get everyone back out. You're the only lifeline we have between the field guys and the _Avenger_. And if you go down, that's the last of XCOM that's going with you. Be careful."


End file.
